Norway: Hyundai Kona EV sales hit triple the year’s target

Hyundai’s all-electric model Kona is hotly expected. In Norway where reservations opened first, Hyundai has sold close to 7,000 Kona Electric already – more than three times the number of EVs they had expected to sell in a whole year.

Hyundai had only projected 2,000 units to sell during the whole first year, now they sold 6,969 already and hold initial reservations of 20,000 units. The company has been surprised by such strong demand and has warned that wait times could reach to mid-2020 if you are not among the early adopters that ordered already. Once more it goes to show that the electric car market is lacking supply rather than demand from consumers. Reports from earlier this year claimed exceptionally long wait times for plug-in cars from almost all carmakers.

The strong demand for the Kona EV in Norway could also be down to an attractive price of 325,000 Kronen (about 34,000 euros) and electric vehicles also being exempt from VAT. Furthermore, Hyundai had prominently positioned the winter testing of the Kona electric car to attract buyers living near the arctic circle.

The 6,969 Hyundai Kona Electric have been ordered since the Koreans launched their EV in Norway (we reported).

Deliveries of the Hyundai Kona Electric will begin in July in Norway. Other markets where the EV has been made available are Germany and France as well as Hyundai’s home market, South Korea.

++ Update: The article has been updated, now claiming sales of 6,969 Hyundai Kona EV in Norway. An earlier version had counted 4,004 electric cars, that had been sold in only a month. ++

And there we have it – exactly as expected: massive global hype in the first few months of the year generating massive global awareness and demand.
Followed 100% predictably by the obligatory refusal to even begin to seriously meet that inEVitable demand with get-real production volumes and global distribution.
And in the meantime the world’s carmakers continue to flood the world’s showrooms and streets with record- breaking cargo-loads of climate-killing gasoline-only SUVs and crossovers. EV Revolution ? Only if you’re duped by all the neverending jam-tomorrow green PR press releases that car manufacturers unleash day after day, year after year.
Be prepared for the same sorry-story rehash when the Niro EV is finally launched in limited numbers and limited markets.
Paul G

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